Report: Qatari-Funded Curriculum Injects Anti-Israel Bias Into Over 8,000 U.S. Schools
New ISGAP report shows how Brown University’s Choices Program, used in over 8,000 U.S. schools, was shaped by undisclosed Qatari funding to promote anti-Israel narratives and distort historical facts
A new report from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) reveals that more than one million American students across all 50 states are learning from a curriculum developed at Brown University that is allegedly fueled by undisclosed Qatari funding and designed to delegitimize Israel. The Choices Program, widely used in secondary schools, has been found to systematically distort historical facts, promote anti-Israel narratives, and operate under a legally ambiguous structure that may be skirting federal disclosure laws. In response, ISGAP is calling for an immediate federal investigation, the suspension of the program, and congressional hearings to address foreign influence in U.S. classrooms.
Legal Loopholes and Undisclosed Foreign Influence
The ISGAP investigation shows that the Choices Program operates under Brown University’s name and academic reputation but maintains a murky financial and legal status. It has described itself variably as a “self-funded organization,” a “non-profit based at Brown University,” and a distinct entity altogether. Despite this ambiguity, school districts enter contracts with “Brown University–Choices Program,” with little transparency on who truly controls the content, revenue, or data.
Critically, Qatar Foundation International (QFI)—a U.S.-based LLC tied to Qatar’s powerful Qatar Foundation—has been directly involved in shaping the curriculum and teacher training workshops. According to the report, Brown University has not disclosed this funding as required under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, potentially placing the university in violation of federal law.
“This is a direct attempt to manipulate American students by embedding ideologically motivated foreign propaganda in their education.”
—Dr. Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s Executive Director.
From Education to Indoctrination
The report chronicles a decade-long ideological shift in the Choices Program, particularly its materials on Israel and the Middle East. Earlier editions acknowledged Israel’s historical and religious significance, featured primary documents like the Balfour Declaration, and clearly marked Jerusalem as its capital. Over time, these elements were removed or reworded.
By 2017, the curriculum referred to Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem, as Israel’s capital in both quizzes and maps, minimized or eliminated discussions on Israel’s founding and the Holocaust’s specificity toward Jews, recast the region as essentially Muslim, casting Jews as outsiders, and integrated definitions of "colonialism" and "imperialism" that frame Israel as a settler-colonial state.
Supplementary videos on the Choices website described Israel as an “apartheid state” and suggested Jewish organizations were manipulating media narratives—statements that echo antisemitic tropes.
The shift wasn’t limited to content on Israel alone. By 2019, the program’s unit on Iran had softened its descriptions of Hezbollah, no longer identifying it as a designated terrorist group or referencing Iran’s threats against Israel. Instead, Hezbollah was recast in more neutral terms, simply described as a “militant group,” reflecting what ISGAP calls a broader pattern of sanitizing extremism within the curriculum.
The Ideological Architect: Beshara Doumani
Central to this transformation is Beshara Doumani, a Brown professor and longtime advocate for viewing Israel as a “settler-colonial project.” After he began advising the program in 2015, ISGAP notes a stark shift in tone and pedagogy. Doumani’s philosophy, expressed in a 2016 panel at Brown, explicitly rejected balanced debate in favor of embedding ideological narratives: “This is not a debate,” he said, “Israel cannot be understood properly unless the features of it as a settler colonial project are understood.”
During Doumani’s tenure as president of Birzeit University (2021–2023)—a Palestinian institution known for supporting Hamas-affiliated activities—he remained closely tied to the Choices Program’s development.
Behind a Paywall: No Oversight, No Accountability
Compounding the content concerns is the proprietary nature of the Choices Program’s digital platform. In 2021, the program migrated its materials behind a password-protected site, preventing educators, school boards, and parents from monitoring changes. Schools receive no alerts when content is updated, and subscription agreements grant broad access to user data—potentially shared with undisclosed third parties.
This lack of transparency, ISGAP argues, undermines educational integrity, limits informed consent, and poses a broader national security risk.
What ISGAP Wants Done Now
ISGAP’s report urges immediate federal and institutional measures, including suspension of the Choices Program in K-12 classrooms, a comprehensive review by the Departments of Education and Justice, congressional oversight hearings, enforcement of foreign funding disclosure laws, and transparency mandates for K-12 curricular content.
“This is a direct attempt to manipulate American students by embedding ideologically motivated foreign propaganda in their education,” said Dr. Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s Executive Director. “Foreign entities with known ties to extremist ideologies should not be shaping how our children learn about history and the Middle East.” Dr. Small added that “It is time to demand transparency, accountability, and an end to the silent manipulation of our children’s education.”
Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) voiced support for ISGAP’s findings, noting the infiltration of foreign propaganda in American schools and committing to bipartisan cooperation to root it out.
Brown Responds, But Questions Remain
Brown University, already under federal scrutiny for its handling of antisemitism on campus, insists it is not currently under new investigation. However, the Education Department recently reminded the university of its Title VI obligations under the Civil Rights Act.
Brown University began feeding at the Qatar trough years ago when they established a "chair" funded by qatar. It's been a growing not always fully revealed financial relationship and political danger for America. Same for Georgetown.
So easy to do in a free country.
One wonders why Netanyahu’s closest advisors were taking money from people in Qatar? But one also wonders why Netanyahu has long proudly called Hamas “my conception”?